Piastri eyes Shanghai win on Sunday with clean air edge

©McLaren

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Oscar Piastri hopes a strong get-away at the start of Sunday’s race in Shanghai will provide him with clean air in which the McLaren charger will be able to potentially build his third career win in F1.

The Aussie was “pumped to be on pole” after he unleashed a stunner in the final segment of Saturday’s Chinese Grand Prix qualifying that sets the stage for a tantalizing shot at victory on Sunday.

The Shanghai weekend had already showcased the Aussie’s mettle, with a gritty second-place finish in the morning’s sprint race behind Ferrari’s Lewis Hamilton.

But while his McLaren teammate Lando Norris – dominant in Q1 and Q2 – faded with tyre woes and a botched final lap, Piastri found his groove.

"I'm just pumped to be on pole," Piastri admitted, although the achievement was anything but straightforward from inside the #81 Mclaren.

"In Q3 I just found a lot of pace. In Q1 and Q2 I was genuinely struggling and the car just came alive in Q3 - and I think I came alive in Q3.

“So I'm happy with what I did at the end, even if the laps were still a little bit scruffy."

Norris, who aborted his last run after slipping up, settled for third, 0.136 seconds adrift. George Russell’s late charge for Mercedes split the McLarens, but Piastri’s surge stole the show.

Lessons from the Sprint

The sprint race earlier on Saturday offered a crash course in tyre woes. Ferrari’s Lewis Hamilton won from pole, leveraging clean air to nurse his medium-compound tyres, while others, including Piastri’s teammate Lando Norris, grappled with severe front-left graining.

Piastri, who took second, clearly saw the value of starting up front.

“That is hopefully going to be a help. I am going to make sure I keep that clean air. But I was pretty happy after the sprinta I think we did the most that we could have,” he said.

“I would have been happier with one spot higher, but with how the race turned out, I couldn’t have asked for much more.

“I feel like we learned a lot this morning, and looking forward to trying to put that to use tomorrow.”

With McLaren’s pace evident and a front-row launch secured, he’s poised to turn his maiden pole into a defining moment—provided he can fend off the chasing
pack.

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Phillip van Osten

Motor racing was a backdrop from the outset in Phillip van Osten's life. Born in Southern California, Phillip grew up with the sights and sounds of fast cars thanks to his father, Dick van Osten, an editor and writer for Auto Speed and Sport and Motor Trend. Phillip's passion for racing grew even more when his family moved to Europe and he became acquainted with the extraordinary world of Grand Prix racing. He was an early contributor to the monthly French F1i Magazine, often providing a historic or business perspective on Formula 1's affairs. In 2012, he co-authored along with fellow journalist Pierre Van Vliet the English-language adaptation of a limited edition book devoted to the great Belgian driver Jacky Ickx. He also authored "The American Legacy in Formula 1", a book which recounts the trials and tribulations of American drivers in Grand Prix racing. Phillip is also a commentator for Belgian broadcaster Be.TV for the US Indycar series.